Transmission



A. Y. DODGE April 15, 1941.

TRANSMIS'SION Filed Aug. 27, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HD/EL K D 0 D65 BY v 04 Cow- 1D ATTORNEYS.

April 15, 1941. A. Y. DODGE 2,238,310

TRANSMISSION Filed Aug. 27, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l O I INVENTOR. FUD/EL )4 DODGE ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE 2,238,310 ramsmssrou' Adiel Y. Dodge, Rockford, nip Application August 27, 193;, Serial Nita 227,137 a claims.v (or. 'u-zsz f This invention relates to transmissions and more particularly to transmissions having selectively operable controlling means.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a transmission having controllable means for I varying the operating ratio in which the desired ratio can be selected and the necessaryv changes through a passag 24 communicating with the From the sleeve l4 the liquid flows past a bearing 26 into the hyin setting can be made semi-automatically.

Preferably the changes in setting areeffected by operating a conventional clutch pedal ,or a

similarly manually'operated member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transmission including a hydraulic torque con verter and a gear set in which changes in the gear set are made by operating brake' members to vary the operating range of the transmission. Another object of the invention is to provide control means for a transmissionin which the desired changes may be preselected or may be selected during operation'of the control means to change the setting of the transmission. The selection is preferably effected by a rotatable cam which maybe set at any desired time either before or during the pedal operation.

Another object is to provide shifting means suitable for shifting tooth clutches, or friction clutches, gears or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention including novel subcombinations and desirable structural arrangements may be apparent from 7 the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

. Figure 1 is a section with parts in plan of .a

transmission controllable in accordance with the present invention; i

- Figure 2 is a vertical section with parts in ofthe driving shaft extends through the sleeve l4 and terminates in a sun gear 22.

Liquid is supplied to the torque converter interior of the sleeve i4.

draulic circuit defined by the impeller, the rotor and the stator. Radial passage 28 in-the impeller housing forms a liquid outlet from the transmission and communicates with a passage 60 in the case III which conducts the liquid to a suitable cooler or the like from which it may be recirculated through the torque converter. The sun gear 22 forms one element of a planetary gear set including a ring gear 32"'connected to the sleeve l4 and a plurality of planet pinions 34 mounted on a carrier 36 which is secured to a shaft 36. The shaft 88 has a flange 40 rotatably ometer gear 66 for indicating the driven speed.

elevation of a control mechanism according to I the-invention; c

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure2 of a modified construction; and

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4of Figure 3.

The transmission illustrated in Figure 1 includes a fixed housing II in which there is mounted a hydraulic torque converter 12 of the typ more particularly described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 57,520 filed January 4, 1936. The torque converter l2 includes an outer impeller housing connected to a source ofpower such as the crank shaft of an internal combustion engine and having within A pair of brake drums 62 and 64 are connected respectively to the. gears 52 and 64 and are adapted to be engaged .by brake bands 66 to be held stationary when desired. The brake bands 66 are operated by rotatable shafts 6,6 and Ill.

The pinion 56 meshes with a second pinion 12 which in turn meshes with an internal gear 14 having a brake band .16 operated by a shaft II to hold it stationary when desired.

Parts 46 and 44 are secured together by spacers lying between the planet gears, to form a planet case.

This causes the shaft 42 to planetate and to rotate I 1 about its own axis due to rolling of the-pinion 46 ,on the stationary gear 52. Since thepinions 46 and 66 and gears 52 and ,56 are of difl'erent' sizes, the gear 56 and the driven shaft 68 will be turned at a speed less than-the speed of shaft 66 and at a correspondingly higher torque. If the brake drum 62 is released and the drum 64 is In operation of the transmission as so far de- 'sired when the shaft .10 is turned to brake the braked the gear 54 will be held stationary. Since the gear 64 is smaller than gear 62 and gear 48 is correspondingly larger than gear 46 and the driven shaft 48 will be turned at a higher rate of speed.

In order to obtain reverse both brake drums 62 and 64 are released and brake 16 is operated toengage the ring gear 14. With this ring gear stationary the direction of rotation of shaft 42 will be reversed due to the intermediate pinion 12 so that gear 56 and driven shaft 48 will be rotated backwards.

When all three brake drums 62, 64 and released a neutral or free position is had.

Figure 2 shows one control arrangement for operating the clutch shafts 68, I8 and 18. While this mechanism is described particularly for the control of these shafts, it will be understood that it might be employed equally well to control various other types of transmissions such as differential and planeting gear transmissions.

The control mechanism of Figure 2 includes a I6 are casing 88 adapted to be mounted beside a transmission to be controlled and having mounted therein three shafts 82, 84 and 86 connected respectively to the shafts 18, 68 and-I8. Each shaft carries a lever arm 88 having pivotally connected at its free end to a shifter bar 88 formed with a cam portion along its under edge at 82 and having at its end a nose or.finger projection 84 adapted to engage a shifting member 86 reciprocably mounted in suitable guides 88.

The member 86 carries a roller 88 adapted to engage a cam lever I88 pivoted on a shaft II2 which may be the conventional clutch shaft but which is preferably operated by means of a pedal similar to the conventional clutch pedal. the pedal is depressed the lever I88 is rocked counterclockwise to the position shown and the member 86 is caused to follow it by a spring "I. When the pedal is released the lever I88 is rocked clockwise to cam the member 86 to the right by a spring I84 which acts against the lower end of the lever. At this time the member 86 will move to the right any one of the bars 88 which is in engagement with it to rock the corresponding shaft.

Engagement of the shifter bars 88 with the member 96 is controlled by a series of pins or plungers II6 slidable in a stationary guide H4 and registering respectively with the bars. The

plungers II6 are controlled by a cylindrical cam II8 formed with notches I28 to register with different ones of the plungers in different positions of the cam. The cam is carried by a shaft I22 which may be connected to suitable control means, not shown, for convenient access to an operator. The bars 88 are urged downwardly into engagement with the plungers H6 and to the left by suitable springs I38 connected to projecting lugs on the bars.

In operation the cam may be set to a. preselected position prior to depressing the pedal which rocks shaft H2 or may, if desired be set after the pedal has been depressed since the only pressure on the plungers H6 is the light downward force exerted by the idle shifter bars. In the position shown the pedal has been depressed and the cam has been turned to drop the plunger II6 which engages the bar 88 connected to the arm 88 on shaft 86. The other plungers are, at this time, out of register with notches I28 so that I the other bars 88 are raised.

When the pedal is released the member '86 willbe moved to the right by the cam lever I88 and will engage the lowered bar 88 to shift'it to the right. This will rock shaft 86 and its connected shaft I8 to engage the brake on drum 62. To control the other brakes the cam may be turned to different positions upon subsequent operations of the pedal to shift the other bars.

In the modified construction of Figures 3 and 4 parts corresponding to like parts in Figure 2 have been designated by the same reference numerals for the sake of brevity of description. In this construction the shafts 84 and 86 are arranged concentrically and the shifter bars are formed with notches 84 in their ends to fit over a suitably shaped projection on the shifting member 86. The cam lever is replaced by a yoke I 88 connected to the member 86 and urged in one direction by the spring I84 which is seated against an adjustable cap I86. i

The yoke I88 carries a gear segment I88 meshing with a segment II8 mounted on the shaft II2. When the pedal is depressed, the segment H8 is rocked clockwise to the position shown to move the shift member 86 to the left. Upon release of the pedal, the spring I84 movesthe shifting member 86 to the right and with it'moves any one of the shifter bars 88 which is engaged therewith.

In order to control the shifter bars, a stationary guide I I4 is provided having slidably mounted therein a series of blocksII6 registering respectively with the shifter bars. The blocks II6 are controlled by a rotatable cylindrical cam II8 having a series of notches I28 therein to receive the ends of the blocks. The cam H8 is carried by a shaft I22 journaled in the casing 88 and having its end ioumaled in a projection I24 secured to the side of the casing. Pinions I26 carried by the cam are adapted to engage stop projections I28 to limit rotation of the cam. The shaft I22 is provided with suitable controlled means not shown which may be arranged for convenient access to an operator.

In operation of this embodiment thecam may be set to a preselected position prior to actuation of the pedal which turns shaft 2 or may, if desired, be set after depressing the pedal since the only pressure on the cam is the downward force exerted by the idle shifter bars 88. Preferably the shifter bars 88 are urged against the.

blocks H6 by suitable coil springs I88. As shown in Figure 3, the cam is in neutral position in which all of the notches I28 are out of register withthe blocks H6 and all of the blocks II6 are consequently in their raised position. In this position the cam portions 82 engage the blocks I I6 and raise the shifter bars so that the notches 84 are out of engagement with the shifting member. In order to prevent accidental rise of a shifter bar when engaged with 86 a stationary pin I32 is preferably provided engaging upper edge or bar 88 to the left of shoulders I34. If the cam H8 is turned to bring one of the notches I28 into register with the coresponding block H6, the block will drop down permitting the corresponding shifter bar 88 to drop down so that its notch 84 ordinarily fitsover the shifting member 86. If the pedal is released with the parts in this position, the shifter bar which engages the shifting member will be moved to the right to rotate its shaft thereby to effect the desired shifting operation.

Due to the light load on the cam II8, it will be apparent that the cam may easily be turned at any time either prior to or subsequent to actuation of the pedal, any bar 88 which isengaged with 96 and is to the right in its operating posltion is so shaped on its under edge that the block H6 may be raised without contacting 90. Upon the next depression of the pedal said bar will travel to the left and eventually come in contact with block H6 if raised. This occurs after the load between 96 and 90 is reduced to nil. Any bar 90 which has been dropped prior to 96 moving left will contact 96 at the lower concave edge at some position to the right of 94 but when 96 reaches its left position slot 94 will snap into engagement with 96. On the next actuation of the pedal, the shifter bar will be moved back to the left to the position shown.

Occasionally it is desirable to shift one member 'forward and another member aft with the same control shaft as is the case in slide gear transmissions and in transmissions employing tooth clutches.

In order that this may be accomplished by the means shown, I have telescoped shifts 86 and 84 in Figures 3' and 4 so that they have the same centers. In this way they may be arranged in relation to other parts quite as though they were one shaft.

In this way a control is provided suitable to operate a two forward speed and a reverse gear box. It is apparent that two shafts may be used at 82 similarly to that shown at 84 merely necessitating four levers and four shift members, etc. instead of three. Such an arrangement will control a three speed and reverse gear box.

In the way of further explanation, if the shift rails of a standard gear box are placed on the side instead of the top, which has been done, then it becomes necessary only to provide suitable linkage so that the turning of such shafts as 84 and 86 will cause the rails to shift to and from neutral to the fore and aft positions desired. It is thought unnecessary to show either the conventional gear box or the connecting linkage thereto.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that numerous changes might be made therein and it is not intended to limit the scope of the in lention to the exact forms shown nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a transmission having controllable means to vary the driving ratio, control mechanism comprising a plurality of shifter bars connected adjacent one end to said controllable means, a shifting member engageable with the other ends of said bars to move them lengthwise, said bars having cam portions intermediate their ends, and control members engageable with said cam portions selectively to control engagement of the bars with the shifting member, said bars being so shaped adjacent the cam portions that they will remain in engagement with the shifting member except when the cam portions engage the control members. I

2. A transmission control device comprising a plurality of shifter bars mounted for lengthwise and pivotal movement, a shifting member engageable with said bars to move them lengthwise, said bars having raised cam portions intermediate their ends, and selector members engageable with said cam portions to move the bars pivotally out of engagement with the shifting member, said bars being so shaped adjacent the cam portions that they will remain in engagement with the shifting member except when the cam portions engage the selector members.

3. A transmission control device comprising a plurality of control shafts, a lever secured to each of said shafts, shifter bars pivotally connected to said levers, a shifting member reciprocable substantially in alinement with said bars and engageable with the bars to move them lengthwise into and out of a neutral position, a plurality of blocks engageable with said bars respectively to move them away from the shifting member, and a selector cam to control said blocks, said bars being so shaped that they will remain in engagement with the shifting member except when en- .gaged by said blocks in substantially the neutral position of the bars. v

ADIEL Y. DODGE. 

